Siegfried Jerusalem and Mari Anne Häggander are the ardent young lovers, Graham Clark a truly boyish David, the Masters (specially Jef Vermeersch¿s Kothner) are amusing without being done to a turn, Hermann Prey contributes a spiky, Dickensian Beckmesser and Bernd Weikl . . . sings most purely as Sachs. The orchestra play (and are recorded) richly for Horst Stein who, without setting the Pegnitz alight with fresh insights, delivers a straightforward, enjoyable reading of the score.

Record Review /
Mike Ashman,
Gramophone (London) / 01. July 2006

The best ¿Meistersinger¿ on video so far reaches DVD at last. Wagner¿s most humane masterwork comes up fresh and shining . . . his [Stein¿s] immense Bayreuth experience and craft illuminate the score with deceptive naturalness, its glowing textures brought out by the marvellous orchestra and chorus. Soloists fit their roles no less naturally . . . The performances remain splendid . . . well matched by Häggander¿s delightful Eva and Graham Clark¿s characterful David, clear-voiced and athletic; Schenk¿s rather lightweight Pogner heads a Mastersinger line-up and supporting cast without weak links.

This "Meistersinger" has a lot going for it ¿ some good singing, superb orchestral and choral execution, appealing naturalistic sets and costumes, a nice transfer to DVD . . . he conducts sensitively and with good dramatic pacing. The opera has been beautifully filmed . . .

Siegfried Jerusalem, the love-struck, would-be meistersinger, brings haughtiness as well as romance to a demanding role; marriage with him is not going to be a bed of roses for Eva (Mari Anne Häggander), the goldsmith's daughter offered as first prize in Nuremberg's annual singing competition. With Bernd Weikl as shoemaker Hans Sachs and Hermann Prey as the town clerk Beckmesser, the recording is highly worthwhile.